Saracen_Park

Saracen Park

Saracen Park

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Saracen Park or Ashfield Stadium, also known as Peugeot Ashfield Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a stadium in Glasgow, Scotland. It is currently shared by Ashfield F.C. for football and the Glasgow Tigers for speedway. It has also previously been a venue for greyhound racing. The ground was originally opened for football in 1937.

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History

Ashfield F.C. opened Saracen Park for junior football in 1937, and have played at the ground since. Located in the Possilpark area of Glasgow, it was named after the adjacent Saracen Foundry.[1]

Speedway

The first speedway team to race at Ashfield Stadium – as it is known for racing purposes – were the Ashfield Giants between 1949 and 1953. After the Giants went out of business, the track was adapted for greyhound racing, which was staged at Ashfield from 1956 until 1998. Speedway returned to the stadium in 1999 when the Glasgow Tigers relocated from Shawfield Stadium.[1]

Greyhound racing

Promoter Jimmy Donald Sr. opened the greyhound track on 21 April 1956. It was known as Ashfield Stadium and was regarded as one of the premier independent (unlicensed) tracks in Scotland with major events called the Ashfield St Leger, Scottish Cup and Anniversary Stakes in addition to the Ashfield Derby which offered substantial prize money.[2] The circumference was 400 yards consisting of distances of 270, 450, 640 and 930 yards. The management declined an invite from the National Greyhound Racing Club in 1989.[3]

The track was laid upon the old speedway track before reverting to speedway in 1999.[4][5]

References

  1. [1]
    O'Brien, Ged (2010). Inglis, Simon (ed.). Played in Glasgow: Charting the Heritage of a City at Play. London: Malavan Media. pp. 200–201. ISBN 9780954744557.
  2. [2]
    "Remember When - February 1981". Greyhound Star.
  3. [3]
    "Monthly Greyhound Star (Remember When 1989) October edition". Greyhound Star.
  4. [4]
    Furby, R (1968). Independent Greyhound Racing. New Dominion House. p. 85.
  5. [5]
    Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. p. 271. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
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